Brazil has increased its purchases of Russian mineral fertilizers, taking nearly one million tonnes of shipments through a single logistics operator during the first five months of the year.
Data provided to Russian newspaper Izvestia by representatives of the Russian Embassy in Brazil showed that almost one million tonnes of fertilizer were delivered to Brazilian buyers between January and May through terminals operated by Port Alliance alone.
Diplomats at the embassy said that demand for mineral fertilizers in South America's largest country has risen sharply. They added that the Russian side regularly receives formal inquiries from Brazilian buyers seeking to increase supply volumes.
Agricultural demand and supply constraints
The growth in demand stems from a rapid expansion of crop planting across Brazil. Major agricultural commodities such as soybeans and corn require substantial chemical fertilizer inputs to sustain soil nutrients, support intensive farming cycles, and protect crop yields.
According to embassy representatives, Brazil lacks alternative large-scale suppliers beyond Russia and China capable of covering these substantial volumes. Brazil is a global agricultural powerhouse and the world's leading exporter of soybeans, but relies heavily on foreign suppliers for more than 80 percent of its fertilizer needs.
Russia is one of the world's major producers and exporters of essential mineral fertilizers, including nitrogen, potash, and phosphate nutrients. Port Alliance operates specialized Russian commercial port terminals that handle dry bulk freight, facilitating export shipments to overseas agricultural markets.
Broader trade ties among BRICS nations
The growth in fertilizer shipments reflects expanding commercial relations between Russia and its trading partners within the BRICS group, an intergovernmental bloc comprising major emerging economies including Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
The trade figures follow significant growth in Russian agricultural and food exports to other member states. China, another BRICS partner, spent $697 million on imports of Russian crab, marking a 25 percent increase compared to the previous year and generating export revenue of more than half a billion dollars.
